The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-12-30
Friday. Dec. 30, 1887.
The Club on the Roads.

AT the last meeting of the Cecil
Farmers Club, the road question was
somewhat discussed, and the presi :
dent, Mr.. s. r. Carson, proposed the
following outline of system to be
formulated into law: Chat COM
mission of three intelligent and in
tercsted persons, selected from
amongst the leading business men
and heaviest taxpayers. be appointed
in each district by the County Com
missloners, and that said Commits.
sioners have authority to appoint
one efficient and experienced road
member or supervisor in each of their
districts who would be allowed sal.
airy sufficient to enable them to give
constant supervision over the roads
in their charge. and who would have
authority to employ such labor and
secure such machinery as may be
necessary"
1t was the opinion of the club that
these commissions should serve with.
out compensation, and that the man.
agement of the roads should be en-.
tirely divorced from politics.
The club invite al. who feel an in
terest in this important question to
meet them at Elkton, january 10th.
in convention to discuss the question.
We suggested this course, it will
be remembered, and named the 18th
day Of December, when the Circuit
Court met, as day when many per.
sons would be in Elkton, as suit.
able day for such convention We
feel gratified that the club, as body
of representative farmers, have spok.
en- in the matter. We have, however,
one gentle criticism to make on the
club. 1t is a little too conservative
and non.combative, to wield effec.
lively the influence which a body OF
such men should and could have.
The proposition which the presi.
dent submitted to the club, and which
the club it appears concurred in
seems to US to contain some serious
objections. One of the main objects
of the plan, we are told. is to entire
~ divorce the management of the
roads frem politics. Ifthis object is
to be gained, Mr.. Carson's plan will
certainly fail for the County Commits.
sioners have the appointing powe,
placed in their hands. Twenty.seven
commissioners areto be appointed by
the County Commissioner to begin
with. This commission is to be com
posed of the "leading business men
and heaviest taxpayers The
''heaviest taxpayers" are matter Of
record, but who are the "leading bus,
mess men.''2 That is a conundrum
which no fellow can fnd out. So the
commissioners would appoint whom
they pleased. But what effectuallv
kills, or would effectually kill such q
device is that the "a leading business
men are to"work for nothing and find
themselves You will never find
such men in that list. But let us
glance at the power invested in the
hands of these three brevet commits.
sioners. Each trio is empowered to
appoint one of their best friends to
De road member and supervisor who
shall spend his whole time employ
Ing men to mend the roads in his dis.
trict, and in looking after the bust
ness. Here is $4,000 taken out of the
treasury an1 paid to nine men to
ride oyer. each his district, hire whom
they please to tinker the roads as
Nsuch practice has always done, and
buy what ever machinery these men
might choose, and the commissioners
foot the bills And one of this plans
redeeming features is to take the
road business out OF politics. If we
were commissioned to find thorough
political machine, when we came to
this plan we would close at once with
the inventor. These nine politicians
would have little else TO do but ride
over their districts, hire the best DO.
iitical workers, set ur the next board
of County Commissioners and per
petuate their lease of office; or at
least keep up constant political
warfare with that end in view. The
plan proposed by the worthy presi.
dent of the club is SO entirely i'm.
practicable. as every person may see
who considers 1t carefully, that it is
unnecessary to point out score or
more of other defects it contains.
We had a road law similar in ef
feet once in Cecil. With this differ.
ence, however, that the voters of each
election district elected a supervisor,
hose duties were the same precisely
the apPointees are to.exercise.
bossed the RI red men
f road
ouilt..